Memory card connector

ABSTRACT

A memory card connector is provided for receiving a memory card having a plurality of conductive contacts. The connector includes an insulative housing that mounts a plurality of conductive terminals. A cover has receptacle means for receiving the memory card. The cover is pivotally mounted on the housing for pivotal movement between an open position to allow the memory card to be inserted into the receptacle means and a closed position bringing the contacts of the memory card into engagement with the terminals on the housing. A generally flat first stop surface ( 66   b ) is formed on the housing. A restraining member on the cover defines a generally flat second stop surface ( 56 ) which comes into surface contact with the generally flat first stop surface on the housing when the cover is opened to prevent the cover from being opened beyond a predetermined amount. With the abutting first and second stop surfaces being flat, stress concentrations are prevented to prevent deformation or damage to the components.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention generally relates to the art of electrical connectorsand, particularly, to a memory card connector. The invention isspecifically directed to a memory card connector which includes a coverand an improved means for preventing the cover from being opened to anover-stressed condition.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Memory cards are known in the art and contain intelligence in the formof a memory circuit or other electronic program. Some form of cardreader reads the information or memory stored on the card. Such cardsare used in many applications in today's electronic society, includingvideo cameras, digital still cameras, smartphones, music players, ATMs,cable television decoders, toys, games, PC adapters, multi-media cardsand other electronic applications. Typically, a memory card includes acontact or terminal array for connection through a card connector to acard reader system and then to external equipment. The connector readilyaccommodates insertion and removal of the card to provide quick accessto the information and program on the card. The card connector includesterminals for yieldingly engaging the contact array of the memory card.

For instance, a portable telephone is provided with a memory cardcapable of storing such information as a telephone number, melodyinformation of incoming sound or the like along with subscriberidentification information. The memory card can be inserted into andwithdrawn from a memory card connector attached to a main body of theportable telephone. When the memory card is inserted into the cardconnector, the information stored on the card can be used. Therefore,even in the case of interchanging a portable telephone with a newtelephone, it is not necessary for a user to write or rewrite newinformation on a memory card.

A typical memory card connector is provided with a dielectric housing inthe form of a base on which the contacts or terminals are mounted. Acover is attached to the base and is movable between an open positionand a closed position relative to the base. A memory card is insertedinto the cover when the cover is in its open position, and the cover andmemory card then can be moved relative to the base to bring the contactson the card into engagement with the terminals on the base. An exampleof such a card connector is shown in Japanese publication JP 10-106674A.

In addition, FIG. 8 shows a conventional memory card connector,generally designated 10, mounted in a recess or cavity 12 of a portabletelephone 14. The connector includes a housing 16 and a cover 18 whichpivots about an axis 20 relative to the housing.

Connector 10 is fixed in place within recess 12 by soldering terminals(not shown) mounted on housing 16 to a substrate (not shown) mountedwithin the recess. The cover is moved from a closed position to an openposition as shown, whereat the cover comes into abutment with an edge 22of recess 12. In the open position, a memory card can be inserted intoand withdrawn from cover 18 in the direction of arrows “A”. Once thememory card is inserted into the cover, the cover is pivoted downwardlyin the direction of arrow “B” to bring conductive contacts on the memorycard into engagement with resilient contact portions 26 of the terminalsmounted on housing 16.

Still referring to FIG. 8, problems are encountered with such memorycard arrangements if excessive forces are applied to the cover in thedirection of arrow “C” when the cover is in the open position, as shown.When the excessive forces are applied to the free end of the cover, edge22 acts as a fulcrum and tends to lift housing 16 out of recess 12, orthe cover, itself, becomes deformed or broken. Consequently, arestraining piece 28 extends across the cover and has an edge 28 a forengaging a lower surface 30 of the housing. The restraining pieceengages lower surface 30 by a line contact or abutment and, therefore,stress concentrations can easily occur. If the excessive pivoting forceson the cover in the direction of arrow “C” are large enough, therestraining piece can be deformed or broken because of the stressconcentration along the line contact between the restraining piece andlower surface 30 of the housing.

The present invention is directed to solving the above problems byproviding a memory card connector of the character described withimproved means to prevent the cover of the connector from being openedan excessive amount.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object, therefore, of the invention is to provide a new and improvedmemory card connector of the character described.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, a memory card connectorreceives a memory card having a plurality of conductive contacts. Aninsulative housing of the connector mounts a plurality of conductiveterminals. A cover has receptacle means for receiving the memory card.The cover is pivotally mounted on the housing for pivotal movementbetween an open position to allow the memory card to be inserted intothe receptacle means and a closed position bringing the contacts of thememory card into engagement with the terminals on the housing. Agenerally flat first stop surface is formed on the housing. Arestraining member on the cover defines a generally flat second stopsurface which comes into surface contact with the first flat stopsurface on the housing when the cover is opened to prevent the coverfrom being opened beyond a predetermined amount. The abutting first andsecond stop surfaces being flat, stress concentrations are prevented toprevent deformation or damage to the components.

As disclosed herein, the cover is stamped and formed of sheet metalmaterial, and the restraining member is formed integrally therewith. Thehousing is molded of dielectric plastic material, and the generally flatfirst stop surface is molded on an outside surface of the housing.

According to one aspect of the invention, the restraining membercomprises a stop arm cantilevered from a rear end of the cover near arear pivot means between the cover and the housing. The first flat stopsurface is located at a rear end of the housing.

According to another aspect of the invention, the housing has an arcuatesurface concentric with the rear pivot means and leading into the firstflat stop surface. The second flat stop surface of the restrainingmember rides over the arcuate surface and against the first flat stopsurface when the cover is opened.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparentfrom the following detailed description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features of this invention which are believed to be novel are setforth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention, togetherwith its objects and the advantages thereof, may be best understood byreference to the following description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals identify likeelements in the figures and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a memory card connector according to theinvention, with the cover of the connector being shown in phantom in itsopen position and a memory card about to the inserted into the cover,the cover being shown in full lines in its closed position;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the connector, with the memory cardinserted into the cover and the cover pivoted to its closed position;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the connector in the condition of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to that of FIG. 2, with the cover slidablymoved from the closed position of FIG. 2 to its latched position;

FIG. 5 is a fragmented perspective view of the rear end of the connectorhousing and the mounted end of the cover;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the area of the connectorhousing which includes the pivot means for the cover;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to that of FIG. 6, showing the cover in phantomand in its various positions of pivotal movement; and

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of the memory card connector of theprior art described in the “background”, above.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, and first to FIG. 1, theinvention is embodied in a memory card connector, generally designated32, which is shown mounted within a recess or cavity 34 of a portabletelephone 36. The recess has a top rear edge 34 a. The recess is in acasing 38 of the portable telephone. The connector is mounted on asubstrate or printed circuit board fixed in the recess.

Generally, memory card connector 32 includes an insulative housing 40which mounts a plurality of conductive terminals (describedhereinafter). A cover 42 is pivotally mounted to the housing formovement between a closed position shown in full lines in FIG. 1 and anopen position shown in phantom in FIG. 1. The cover has receptacle meansfor receiving a memory card 44 inserted into and withdrawn from thecover in the direction of arrows “A”. The memory card has conductivecontacts 44 a on a bottom surface thereof for engaging the terminalsmounted on housing 40. The receptacle means on cover 42 for receivingmemory card 44 is on the underside of the cover and is defined by a pairof side walls 46, a front wall 48, a pair of rear tabs 50 and aplurality of inwardly turned flanges 52. The memory card becomessandwiched between flanges 52 and a top wall 54 of the cover. When thecover is moved from its open position to its closed position, theinserted memory card moves therewith to bring contacts 44 a on theunderside of memory card 44 into engagement with the terminals on thehousing.

Cover 42 may be stamped and formed of sheet metal material. Housing 40may be molded of dielectric plastic material.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, cover 42 has a pair of restraining members56 which project rearwardly at opposite sides of a rear end 42 a of thecover. The restraining members are in the form of a pair of stop armswhich are cantilevered from rear end 42 a The arms define stop surfaces,for purposes described hereinafter. FIGS. 2 and 3 also show that cover42 has a pair of pivot arms 58 which project rearwardly of the cover, asextensions of side walls 46. Pivot arms 58 constitute spring arms inthat free ends 58 a of the pivot arms can flex outwardly. A conicallyshaped pivot projection 58 b is formed from free end 58 a of each pivotarm. The conically shaped pivot projections point inwardly toward eachother on an imaginary pivot line 60 (FIG. 3). Pivot projections 28 bperform a dual function of providing pivoting means for cover 42 as wellas being part of a detent means for defining the sliding latchedposition of the cover, as described hereinafter.

Referring to FIG. 6 in conjunction with FIGS. 2 and 3, housing 40 has apair of cover attaching arms 61 projecting rearwardly thereof atopposite sides of the housing. The arms have enlarged distal ends 61 a.A conically shaped pivot socket 62 and a conically shaped latchingsocket 64 are formed in the outside surfaces of each cover attaching arm61. The conically shaped pivoting socket 62 has an apex 62 c which iscoincident with imaginary pivot line 60 (FIG. 3). A vertical accessgroove 66 leads downwardly to pivoting socket 62. The enlarged distalend 61 a of each cover attaching arm 61 has a surface configuration 66which includes an upper arcuate surface 66 a which leads into a flatstop surface 66 b. The upper arcuate surface 66 a is concentric withapex 62 c of pivoting socket 62 and concentric with pivot line 60 (FIG.3). Finally, FIG. 6 shows a pair of the plurality of terminals,generally designated 68, mounted on housing 40 and including tailsportions 68 a for electrical connection to the substrate or circuitboard within recess 34 of portable telephone 36.

Cover 42 is mounted to housing 40 by inserting the apexes of conicallyshaped pivot projections 58 b of the cover through access grooves 65 andinto pivoting sockets 62 in the outsides of enlarged distal ends 61 a ofcover attaching arms 61. The cover then is free to pivot between itsopen and closed positions as pivot projections 58 b and pivoting sockets62 provide the pivoting means between the cover and the housing. Whenthe cover is mounted to the housing, free ends 58 a of pivot arms 58 ofthe cover flex outwardly until pivot projections 58 b “snap” intopivoting sockets 62. With the cover in its open position as shown inFIG. 1, memory card 44 now can be inserted into the underside of thecover as described above.

After memory card 44 is inserted into cover 46 in the open position ofthe cover, the cover and card then can be pivoted downwardly about pivotprojections 58 b on the cover and pivoting sockets 62 in the housing toits closed position shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The cover then is slidablymoved in the direction of arrow “D” (FIG. 4) to a latched position ofthe cover. During this sliding movement, pivot projections 58 b on thecover move from pivoting sockets 62 into latching sockets 64 as shown inFIG. 6. When the cover reaches its latched position as defined bylatching sockets 64, the latching of the cover is effected by theinwardly turned flanges 52 of the cover moving into latching recesses 70formed in outside walls of housing 40. The cover now cannot be liftedupwardly away from the housing unless the cover is slidably moved backfrom its latched position shown in FIG. 4 opposite the direction ofarrow “D”, whereupon latching projections 58 b on the cover move backinto pivoting sockets 62 of the housing.

The invention contemplates an improved means for preventing cover 42from being pivoted an excess amount beyond a predetermined openposition. Summarily, the restraining means is provided by a generallyflat first stop surface on the housing which is engageable by agenerally flat second stop surface on the cover when the cover reachesan open position generally 90° to the cover. Specifically, the firstflat stop surface on the housing is provided by flat stop surface 66 b(FIG. 6) of the surface configuration 66 at the top of enlarged distalend 61 a of each cover attaching arm 61 of the housing. The second flatstop surface is provided by the restraining members or stop arms 56 ofcover 42 which are cantilevered from rear end 42 a of the cover asdescribed above in relation to FIGS. 2 and 3.

More particularly, FIG. 5 shows cover 42 pivoted upwardly to its fullyopen position. It can be seen that stop arms 56 present flat surfacesfor engaging flat stop surfaces 66 b of the housing. This flat surfaceengagement between the cover and the housing prevents excessive upwardpivoting movement of the cover beyond a predetermined amount ifexcessive forces are applied to the cover in the direction of arrow “E”.In fact, the cover will never even engage top rear edge 34 a (FIG. 1) ofrecess 34 of the portable telephone.

FIG. 7 shows, in phantom, various positions of stop arms 56 as the coverpivots upwardly from its closed position to its open position. Duringsuch pivotal movement, stop arms 56 ride along upper arcuate surfaces 66a of surface configurations 66 on the housing and then into “stopping”abutment with flat stop surfaces 66 b. Cantilevered stop arms 56 aresufficiently flexible to yield and provide a resistance to warn anoperator to release the excessive forces.

It will be understood that the invention may be embodied in otherspecific forms without departing from the spirit or centralcharacteristics thereof. The present examples and embodiments,therefore, are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and notrestrictive, and the invention is not to be limited to the details givenherein.

1. A memory card connector for receiving a memory card having aplurality of conductive contacts, comprising: an insulative housingmounting a plurality of conductive terminals; a cover having receptaclemeans for receiving the memory card, the cover being pivotally mountedon the housing for pivotal movement between an open position to allowthe memory card to be inserted into the receptacle means and a closedposition bringing the contacts of the memory card into engagement withthe terminals on the housing; a generally flat first stop surface on thehousing; and a restraining member on the cover defining a generally flatsecond stop surface which comes into surface contact with the first flatstop surface on the housing when the cover is opened to prevent thecover from being opened beyond a predetermined amount.
 2. The memorycard connector of claim 1 wherein said cover is stamped and formed ofsheet metal material, and the restraining member is formed integrallytherewith.
 3. The memory card connector of claim 1 wherein said housingis molded of dielectric plastic material and said first flat stopsurface is molded on an outside surface of the housing.
 4. The memorycard connector of claim 1 wherein said restraining member comprises astop arm cantilevered from a rear end of the cover near a rear pivotmeans between the cover and the housing, and said first flat stopsurface is located at a rear end of the housing.
 5. The memory cardconnector of claim 1, including pivot means between the housing and thecover and defining a pivot axis about which the cover rotates betweensaid open and closed positions, the housing having an arcuate surfaceconcentric with the pivot axis and leading into the first flat stopsurface, and the second flat stop surface of the restraining memberriding over said arcuate surface and against the first flat stop surfacewhen the cover is opened.
 6. A memory card connector for receiving amemory card having a plurality or conductive contacts, comprising: aninsulative housing mounting a plurality of conductive terminals; a coverhaving receptacle means for receiving the memory card; pivot meansbetween the housing and the cover defining a pivot axis about which thecover rotates between an open position to allow the memory card to beinserted into the receptacle means and a closed position bringing thecontacts of the memory card into engagement with the terminals on thehousing; a surface configuration on the housing including an arcuatesurface concentric with said pivot axis and leading into a first flatstop surface at a rear of the housing; and a stop arm cantilevered froma rear end of the cover near the pivot means and including a second flatstop surface which rides over the arcuate surface on the housing andagainst the first flat stop surface of the housing when the cover isopened to prevent the cover from being opened beyond a predeterminedamount.
 7. The memory card connector of claim 6 wherein said cover isstamped and formed of sheet metal material, and the stop arm is formedintegrally therewith.
 8. The memory card connector of claim 6 whereinsaid housing is molded of dielectric plastic material and said firstflat stop surface is molded on an outside surface of the housing.
 9. Thememory card connector of claim 6, including a pair of said surfaceconfigurations at opposite sides of the housing, along with a pair ofsaid cantilevered stop arms at opposite sides of the cover for engagingthe surface configurations of the housing.